Russia sentences Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoiskyi to 12 years in prison in absentia

Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoiskyi has been sentenced to 12 years in prison in absentia by a court in Tatarstan, Russia, for the theft of oil worth RUB 10 billion (approx. US$132 million).

Source: Russian media outlet RIA Novosti

Details: Businessmen Oleksandr Yaroslavsky, Hennadii Boholiubov and Pavlo Ovcharenko received identical sentences alongside Kolomoiskyi.

According to the Russian investigation, in 2006 and 2007, while outside Russia, the businessmen formed a criminal group and arranged for Tatneft oil to be supplied to Ukraine through an intermediary company. The volume supplied was 858,600 tonnes, at a cost of over RUB 10 billion (around US$132 million). The oil was subsequently misappropriated by those involved.

The trial took place in absentia, as the defendants are located outside Russia. The verdict has not yet entered into legal force.

A freezing order was also imposed on over RUB 20 billion (US$264 million) worth of assets belonging to a company affiliated with the defendants, including shares in the company worth more than RUB 10 billion (US$132 million).

Background:

• At the beginning of May, the Security Service of Ukraine and the Office of the Prosecutor General announced that Kolomoiskyi had been served with a new notice of suspicion over schemes involving PrivatBank.
• Kolomoiskyi has been held in pre-trial detention since 2 September 2023. He was served with his first notice of suspicion in September 2023 on charges of fraud and the legalisation (laundering) of assets obtained by criminal means.

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